43. SRI NATRUNAIAPPAR SWAMY TEMPLE AT THIRU NANIPALLI (PUNCHAI)

Devara Paadal Petra Sthalam	160th Shiva Sthalams(One of the Devara Paadal Petra Shiva Sthalam)
Region	Chola Naadu - South
Chola Naadu - South	43rd Shiva Sthalam
Pathigam	Saint Thirugnanasambanthar, Saint Thirunavukarasar (Appar) and Saint Sundaramurthy (Sundarar)

HISTORY:

Lord Vinayakar had to incur a curse from Sage Agasthiyar. This was because Vinayakar had taken the form of a crow and toppled Sage Agasthiyar’s Kamandalam (hand bowl). As a result of the curse, Vinayakar was unable to regain his original form. To seek relief, Vinayakar (still in the form of a crow) visited this temple, took a dip in this temple’s holy tank and worshiped the lord. When the crow emerged from the tank, its colour had changed to gold. Hence this place gets the name “Pon Sei” (“Pon” means gold and “Sei” means changed in Tamil). This was later changed to Punchai. 

This place’s name “Nani Palli” might have been derived from the name of the person Nanni, who had originally built this temple. (‘Palli” means temple in Tamil).

Lord Shiva here is praised as “Sri Natrunaiappar”. This can be translated as “the lord who guides us to a better life”.

Saint Thirugnanasambanthar:

This village is the birth place of his mother, Bhagavathi Ammaiyar. On hearing that Sambanthar had started rendering pathigams praising Lord Shiva and had been blessed with golden plates by the lord, the people of this village wanted him to come here. Being a small child at that time, Sambanthar could not walk for long distances. His father carried him on his shoulders. When Saint Sambanthar reached this village, he sang his Pathigam while seated on the shoulders of his father, Sri Sivapatha Hrudhayar.  To the delight of the villagers, the barren lands around this village were turned into fertile, cultivable land by the power of his pathigam. Another reason why this place is called “Ponsei” is that these lands started yielding a lot of food grains. Pon sei can also be interpreted as “golden land”. At the end of his pathigam, Sambanthar mentioned that he was sitting on his father’s shoulders while performing this rendition.

Sage Agasthiyar:

Sage Agasthiyar was blessed with Lord Shiva’s wedding darshan here. There is a separate shrine in the corridor for Sri Kalyana Sundareswarar which symbolises this incident.

SALIENT FEATURE:

·        This is one of the 44 Paadal petra sthalams where the “Moovarhad rendered their Pathigams.

·        This is the birth place of Bhagavathi Ammaiyar, mother of Saint Thirugnanasambanthar.

·        This east facing temple has a single corridor and its main tower does not have any tiers. In place of the Gopuram, there are beautiful sculptures depicting the “Panchamurthy” (Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvathy, Vinayakar, Murugan and Chandikeswarar). 

·        It is believed that Lord Suryan (Sun) worships Lord Shiva of this temple by directing his rays on the lingam every year for seven days in the Tamil month of Chithirai from 7th to 13th (April-May). Special poojas are performed on these days to Lord Shiva here.

·        The sanctum sanctorum is very huge and spacious and it is believed that an elephant had entered into this sanctum and worshiped the lord.

·        Lord Shiva’s sanctum tower (Vimanam) is also very big and is in the shape of a dome. This tower is considered to be one of the biggest towers in Tamil Nadu.

·        The sanctum sanctorum and the halls (Mandapams) are aesthetically designed. The main hall in this temple is known as “Nanipalli Kodi Vattam”.

·        There is a beautifully carved pillar in the corridor that also houses a small relief of Yaali (a mythological animal). The uniqueness of this relief is that there is a small hole in place of the Yaali’s nose. If you insert a rope or a stick on one end, it will emerge from the other end.

TEMPLE INFORMATION:

Moolavar	Sri Natrunaiappar, Sri Swarnapureeswarar
Ambal	Sri Parvatharaja Puthiri, Sri Swarnambikai, Sri Malayan Madanthai
Theertham	Swarna Theertham
Sthala Vriksham	Shenbagam, Pinnai

BELIEF:

Those facing obstacles in their marriage proposals can worship Lord Kalyana Sundareswarar here.

Devotees also worship Lord Shiva of this temple for seeking the blessing of prosperity and wisdom. 

TEMPLE FESTIVAL:

Tamil Month	English Month	Festival Name
Avani	Aug-Sept	Vinayakar Chaturthi
Purattasi	Sep-Oct	Navarathri
Aippasi	Oct–Nov	Skanda Shashti and Annabishekam
Karthikai	Nov-Dec	Thiru Karthikai
Markazhi	Dec-Jan	Thiruvadhirai
Maasi	Feb-Mar	Maha Shivrathri

HOW TO REACH:

Thiru Nanipalli (Punjai) is situated at a distance of about 5 kms from Sembonar Koil on the Mayiladuthurai to Thirukadaiyur route. From Mayiladuthurai it is about 13 kms.

TEMPLE ADDRESS:

Sri Nattrunai Appar Temple,
Punchai (Thiru Nanipalli),
Kidaramkondon,
Mayiladuthurai,
Nagapattinam,
Tamil Nadu – 609 304.

LOCATION: